New coaster trains for Busch Gardens Parks shown at the IAAPA

 IAAPA Shows Off New Coaster Cars for Busch Gardens.

 It's that time of year again, the IAAPA is in full swing and images are coming down hard and fast. Showing off the latest and greatest, the soon to open and the future news- a lot is going to drop this week with the expo going on!

 SeaWorld Parks is offering some of the first showings here with the two new coasters coming to the Busch Gardens parks.

Image from Theme Park Insider

 Up first, we've got the new coaster train design going in to Busch Gardens Williamsburg and the coaster Pantheon.  Intamin showed off the design, which to be honest, I'm not thrilled with.

Allow me to explain..

 The same harness design is used at Hershey Park for the coaster 'Sky Rush' which has the unloving nickname 'Thigh Crush' for a reason.
 Rather than going with the slightly older design, they've opted to use this model for the new coaster.

 Although considering it's not a wing coaster, there could be some saving grace to our poor thighs in the future. At least, if your not short? I'll have to wait and see with this one.

Image from Theme Park Insider 

 Busch Gardens Tampa isn't to be left out of the fun either, showing off the new trains for the redesign of Gwazi.  Created by Rocky Mountain Coasters, it's now called 'Iron Gwazi'. The coaster will be a complete re-track of the original ride with many of the old elements removed and new added, combining it into a single track coaster.

 Taking away the dueling element does allow more room to work and design, but seems like it's somehow taking away a key element of an original design. Dueling coasters are becoming a rarity these days, but let me digress once more..



 Let me confess something to you, the trains confuses me.

 Gwazi was (supposedly) named after the legend of a creature which had both the head of a lion and the head of a tiger, thus why each side was designated 'lion' or 'tiger'. However, in this new coaster train theme, seem to share nothing more than the name with the original coaster. Rather this is now 'crocodile inspired thrills'!

 Perhaps it's just me, but I liked the 'big cat' theme as it fell in nicely with the education programs the park runs regarding their big cats. Although I do suppose it's time to branch out as they have 'Kumba',  'Cheetah Chase' and 'Tigris' now.


Anyway, I've digressed enough for one afternoon.

We're looking forward to more news from the IAAPA's 2019 show.

We'll cover the SeaWorld Parks in tomorrows update- There is PLENTY more to come!

Wicked Cyclone Construction Further Along at Six Flags New England

This past weekend, the folks at SFNE Online were invited out to the park for an up close and personal look, as part of the American Coaster Enthusiast Great Nor'Easter event, at the RMC rework of the park's famous Cyclone roller coaster.

Not only did they get the chance to get up close and personal with the construction site but also with the new trains, delivered only a couple of weeks ago. Overall, this thing is shaping up to be one insane ride and definitely going to be interesting to check out in the future.

For now, here's a few pictures of the progress and the trains that will grace the tracks of Wicked Cyclone!

Banshee Watch 2/6

 

Banshee Watch: February 6

Hello Peoples!!!

Sorry that I fell behind (ok very behind) in posting these myself but family matters come first.  Anywho I'm starting back with an awesome announcement:

The Banshee Ride Cars Have Arrived!!!!!!

The first car for King's Island Banshee coaster arrived yesterday afternoon.  Banshee will operate with three steel and fiberglass trains, each one containing eight cars. Each car seats four riders in a single row for a total of 32 riders per train.  Riders will be held in by flexible over-the-shoulder restraints and interlocking lap belts, these are very similar to those used on other B&M wing coasters; but the neat part is that this is a first for an inverted roller coaster.  Each train will be painted a different color; blue, green and purple, and this looks to be the blue train.

The Status of Flying Turns

The Status of Flying Turns

 The simple fact of the matter is this: No One Knows.

 In 2006 Knoebels Amusement Resort began building one of the most enthusiastic and anticipated roller coasters to date, giving it the name "Flying Turns". To understand, Flying Turns is style of roller coaster, a bobsled but made entirely of wood. One hasn't been built since 1940 and currently there are no operating wooden coasters of this style left in the world. So you can imagine the hype that Knoebels got when they announced they planned to build an antique coaster in this style.

 The problem is this, no one alive today has knowledge of how to build this ride. Only the plans which are from a ride designed by John Miller and John Bartlett from the 1920's.